Collapsible cabinet



Nov. 4, 1941. H. DERMAN 2,261,646

COLLAPS IBLE CABINET Filed Dec. 20, 1939 mvENToR HARRY 7c-@MAN ATTORN E Patented Nov. 4, 1941 UNTED STATS PAT'NT "().F1}"-'IC1E`.)f

COLLAPSIBLECABrNE'r Harry Berman, Laureltn, N. Y. l K Application December 2o, 1939, serial trogsiizrs'vv 10 Claims. 4(o1. sic- 144) y This invention relates to collapsible cabinets of the typeand kind constructed of corrugated or bre board walls with wood strip reinforcements; and the object of the invention is toA provide a cabinet of the character described em- 1- ploying a door frame unit having as a, part thereof, sliding doors with means detachably coupling this unit with other detachably related parts of the'cabinet'; a further object being to provide a cabinet of' the character described wherein the topand bottom wall parts as well as the door frame part include reinforced flanges which collectively form' reinforcing strips extending along and` adjacent peripheral edges of the" cabinet; andwith these and other objects in view the' invention consists ina cabinet 'of the class and for the purposef specified,` which Ais simple in construction, effcient in use, and whichis constructed jas hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed inthe following specification of which the accompanying drawing forms apart, in which the several parts of my invention are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the-views, and in which:

. Fig. 1 is anv exploded view showing theseparate partsof the cabinet in related positions'r'eady for assemblage. l

Fig. 2 is a section on thev line 2-2 of the door frame part of Fig. 1 showing the same attached to-part of theside walls vof theA cabinet.

Fig. 3 is a partial section on the line 3-3- of' Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale' showing the cabinet parts assembled. v

Figi/l` is a partial section onthe` line 4-4 of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale showing the parts assembled.

Fig.`5 is a perspective-View of oneupper corner portion of the assembled cabinet; and

Fig. 6 isa partial View similar to Fig. 2 showing` a modification.

lLl() In the construction of. cabinets of the type and kind under consideration,. it has been customary to provide vertically sliding door or closure members; and where laterally movable door members were employed, they were composed of Hiiexibl'e material adapted to extend into yside pockets of A the cabinet. In the present construction', I ernploy a door frame unit which is shipped and packed asa unit and in which are disposed laterallyk moving sliding doors which control the f.

open position, will notconflict with orfstrike'walls "53? or vmembers disposed atthe sidesmof the cabinet, especially' when space. p l

In the accompanyingv drawing I- have illustratedoneembodimentof m-y invention.i vIn Fig; 1, ID represents the back and' sidewall part-'of the cabinet, II represents the top wall part, I2 the bottom wall part, includinganupwardly directed integral front wall portion I3, and; lill,` represents the door frame part. These parts are all collapsible one upon the otherto Aformrga'n elongated relatively thin package which will facilitate storage and shipment thereof. *'Ihiese parts' are extended `and assembled in .a manner such as diagra-mmatically illustrated in the eX- ploded view, Fig. 1, in which-the general relationship ofthe parts is illustrated. l y 1 The part I Usimply consists. off' a rectangular sheet; folded toform aback wall I5f and sidewalls I6. -These walls extendto-inner: surfaces of the top` and bottom wall parts II and I2 andft witlrin downwardly extending-flange portions- IIa in the-top wall lpart andupwardly4 extending wall portions I2a of: thegbottomwall-part.r fThe'walls are secured in positionvby suitable fastening de- Vices such as commonly'employed., two of these fastening devicesA being shown atY I.-`I,inwFigs. 3 and 4 ofthedrawing. j f

The top walll II.l also' includes a downwardly extending -ange portionr II- b at the front ofthe cabinet, and this fiange has foldable'side tongue portionsv IIc which form finished corners atthe topy `of the `cabinet andare. disposed in `ccplanar alinement with the flanges I Ia as well' as Y side flanges Illa on thel door framer part- I4. The flanges: IIa-which are disposedgat the sides-'and back ofV the topwall part Hare also reinforced by wood strips-I8. The forward edges vof these strips .terminate short of the front' of the top wall II` to abut similar reinforcingl strips ma.

arranged` on the flanges Ida, as is clearly illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawing. The' foldablefront wall part I3 of the ybottom wall I-2- alsofincludes side flangesv 13a which are disposed in alinementwith the flanges -I 2a.V and Illa. These flanges have woodreinforcing strips I8b which are arranged inY alinement with the strips I8a, and` reinforcing strips I8c on the sides of the bottom wallV part I2-y abut the strips Ib which are clearly indicated in Fig. 1. vIt will be understoodl thata2 strip I8c also extends across the rear ange I2a ofthe bottom wall part. other reinforcing strip I9 is also preferably disposed at the lower edgeportioxr of the front wall part I3 to guard and protect `this edgeand to arranged; inV a limited storage form a desirable finish to the bottom of the cabinet. The extensions I3b of the flanges I3a are similar to the tongue-like extensions I Ic and also abut the flanges I4a on the door frame part as will be apparent.

The door frame part I4 is formed from two strips or panels 2U of fibre or corrugated board, disposed at each side of the door frame and spaced apart to form a large rectangular opening 2| in the door `frame. The flanges I4a of the panels are foldable with respect to the panels 20. Coupling the upper and lower end portions of the panels 20 are reinforcing and guide rail strips 22 which are of similar construction. Each strip is provided at one side edge-witha With my construction, the door frame unit I4 will be factory assembled so that the purchaser has to contend only with four cabinet parts and whatever hanger accessories and the like may be employed, the same being omitted as they are commonly known to its users in this art. In collapsing the parts, the front wall part I3 is collapsible upon the bottom wall and the side fianges Ma of the part I4 are collapsible upon the panels 20. The front fiange IIb may be folded upon the top wall part, the side walls I6 being foldable'on one another and upon the back wall I5, as will be apparent.

single groove 23 and at the opposite side edge with two grooves 24, 25, the groove 24 being the inner groove and the groove 25 the outer groove.- The groove 23 in the upper strip 22 receives the flange I Ibk of the top wall, note Fig. 3, -whereas the groove -23 of the .bottomstrip 22 receives the upper edge'portion ofthe front'wall I3, note Fig. fi. The upper and lower edges of the panels 20.v are permanently secured inthe grooves 24 ,in forminglthe door frame I4. This frame is reinforcedatfinner'opposed 'edges of the panels 2D 'by vertical reinforcing'stop or door check strips 26 which 'extend onto the inner surfaces of thelstrips 22 Vandi are securedthereto. It will thus be seen thatfthe'strips 26 together with the strips 2v2 form the border frame for the door openingZI. i `Slidably` mounted in the grooves 25 of the strips 22 raredoo'r members 21,- 21a which consist of straight strips 'of corrugated 4or fibre board, upper and lower edges of which are slidably mounted in the grooves 25fof the stripsl 22. Mounted on adjacent edgesof the doors "2 1, 2'Iaare reinforcing strips 28, 28 'which are adapted to strike thestrips 26 in limiting opening movement of the doors, one-of the doors, the door 21, being shown in open position ,in Fig. 2 of' the drawing. The strip I28a includes at its outer surface a projecting beaded flange portion 28bwhich overliesthe strip' 28 to form a neat finish between the doors Whein closed position.

Atthe outer edges'f the'doors 2I2'Ia. are other reinforcing strips 29,"'29`havingfbeaded 'outer surfaces. Thesestrips also strikethe stop strips 26 in limiting closing movement -of the doors as is indicated at the right of Figi 2` of the drawing where the door 21a is; shown rin'fclosed position.- Upper andlower edges of thel strips 28, 28a, 29h, 29a, will have tongues projecting into the groovesv 25 in further guiding the doors in their movement 'from open vto closed positions.

vIt will appear from a' considerationof Fig. 2 of the drawing that the sliding doors are maintained within the boundary limits'of the side of the cabinet when in their open position so as t prevent engagement with walls or other surfaces that may be disposed adjacent the'sides of the cabinet, particularly 'when used -in Yrestricted places. It will be apparent, however, that in some types of construction', the doors may be made wider and the door frame opening made larger to extend the sides of the door beyond In assembling the various cabinet parts the part I 2 will be rst arranged upon the fioor, after which the part I0 will be placed upon the part I2 when in the position shown in Fig. 1. Fastener devices, as at I'Ia, will be inserted to couple the parts together, after which the door frame part I4 will be mounted in position with the fianges I4a disposed outwardly of the wall I6. Otherfastening device, as at IIb, will be passed through the'strips I8a, fiang'es- I4a, and the Wall I6 in securing thedoo'r frame in position. The upper edge ofthe front wall I3 is placed in the groove 23 of the lower strip 22. The top wall part II is then placed in position, the edge of the flange I'Ib being placed in the groove 23 of the top strip 22, and fasteners,'as`at I'Ic, will be passed through outwardly directed extensions of the reinforcing strips |811; and the parts I Ic as will be apparent. The fasteners IIa, I'Ib and I1c are shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawing.

' From the' foregoing it will be apparent that the cabinet may be quickly and easily assembled for use. By reason of the simplicity in the construction of the complete device, a cabinet of this type and kind may-be made to sell at a reasonable price. The beaded portions on the rails 29, 29a as well as the bead 28h on the rail 28a will facilitate the'operation of the doors in moving the same into open and closed'positions. It will also be understood ythat by disposing the ,door frame unit; at the upper portion of the cabinet, the operationof the doors will be simplified and the doors will be made sufficiently long to facilitate free insertion and removal of the clothing with respect to the cabinet.

` Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A collapsible cabinet of the'class described comprising four detachably coupled parts, one part comprising back and side walls of the cabinet, another part the top wall, another part the bottom wall, and the last of said parts comprising a door frame unit, said door frame unit comprising vertically arranged sidepanels `joined by top and bottom door guiding rails, means coupling said door frame unit with the side walls of the first named part and with angularly extending flange portions of the top and bottom parts, said top and bottom rails and side panels forming inthe door frame part a door opening, two vertically arranged panel-like door members arranged on and movable over said panels and slidably engaging the top and bottom rails in controlling said door opening, means comprising reinforcing parts on the door members and on said panels limiting the movement of said door members in both directions, the width of the door members in comparison with the width of the side panels and the door frame being such as to maintain the doors within boundary limits of thesides of. thev cabinet when thefd'oors. 'are in fully opened position.

2. A collapsible; cabinet: of the class described comprising four detachably coupled parts.. one part comprising back and sidewalls of the. cabinet, anotherpart the; topI wall, 'another parti the bottom wall, and the last of said partstcomprising a door frame unit, said door frame-unit comprising a rectangular frame Vhaving top and bettomV door` guiding rails joined by stop rails bordering side edges of the door opening in said frame, said door frame unit and` top andbottom walls having flanges extending onto ,predetermined walls of the rst named partandattached thereto, the flanges of the top and' bottom walls being in co-planar alinement with the anges of said door frame part, and reinforcingstrips supported on the flanges of said parts and cooperating to form reinforcing frames at the sides of the cabinet. I

3. A collapsible cabinet of the class described comprising four detachably coupled parts, one part comprising back and side walls of the cabinet, another part the top wall, another partithe bottom wall, and the last of said parts comprising a door frame unit, said door frame unit comprising a rectangular frame having top `and bottom door guiding rails joined: byv stoprails bordering side edges of the doorV opening in said frame, said door frame unit and top and bottom walls having flanges extending onto predetermined walls of the rst named part and attached thereto, the flanges of the top and bottom walls being in alinement with the flanges of said door frame part, reinforcing strips supported'on the anges of said parts and cooperating to form reinforcing frames at the sides of the cabinet, two

panel-like door members arranged vertically in said door frame, each vdoor member having a reinforcing strip at each side edge thereof, said door members slidably engaging the top and bottom rails of the door frame, and the reinforcing strips of said door members cooperating with said stop strips of the frame in limiting opening and closing movement of said door members.

4. A collapsible cabinet of the class described comprising four detachably coupled parts, one

part comprising back and side walls of the cabinet, another part the top wall, another part the bottom wall, and the last of said parts comprising a door frame unit, said door frame unit comprising a rectangular frame having top and bottom door guiding rails joined by stop rails bordering side edges of the door opening in said frame, said door frame unit and top and bottom walls having flanges extending onto predetermined walls of the rst named part and attached thereto, the flanges of the top and bottom walls being in alinement with the flanges of said door frame part, reinforcing strips supported on the flanges of said parts and cooperating to form reinforcing frames at the sides of the cabinet, two panel-like door members arranged vertically in said door frame, each door member having a reinforcing strip at each side edge thereof, said door members slidably engaging the top and bottom rails of the door frame, the reinforcing strips of said door members cooperating with said stop strips of the frame in limiting opening and closing movement of said door members, said top and bottom Walls being both provided with angular extending front flange or wall portions, and said top and bottom rails having grooves receiving the said last mentioned flanges.

5. In a'` cabinet ofi the classdescrbed employingcollapsibly related top,`bottom and back and side wall parts forming a large door opening at the front` of the cabinet, a. door frame unit detachably connected with the rst named parts and comprising a rectangular frame having top and bottom grooved door guiding rails joined by spaced vertical rails bordering the `sides-of the door opening formed in said door frame, means on the frame for coupling the same with the flrstv namedn parts of thecabinet to`close the-opening in the cabinet, said vmeans including side panels secured to said vertical rails and having foldable flanges adaptedk to overlie forward edges of saidv backI and side wall part, a pair of verticallyl extending door members arranged onj and movable over said panels and slidably engaging the top and bottom rails of the door frame in controlling the door opening` of saidl frame, and means comprising reinforcing parts on thedo'or members and said vertical rails of the frame for limiting opening and closing movement of said door members. 6; A door frame unit for the opening of cabi'- nets of the class described, said unit comprising arectangular frame consisting of spaced door guiding rails coupled together bypanels joiningthe endsof the rails, said panels and rails having4 means for coupling the samewith predetermined Walls of the cabinet tor retain' thesframe'against displacement from the cabinet and in closing the cabinet opening, opposed edges of the panels having reinforcing and door stop strips coupling said door guiding rails and forming in conjunction with said rails the door opening of said frame, a pair of door members slidably engaging said rails and movable over the surfaces of said panels in moving the door members from a closed to an open position, and the edges of the door members having reinforcing and finishing strips cooperating with the stop strips to limit opening and closing movement of said door members.

7. A door frame unit for the opening of cabinets of the class described, said unit comprising a rectangular frame consisting of spaced door guiding rails coupled together by panels joining the ends of the rails, said panels and rails having means for coupling the same with predetermined walls of the cabinet to retain the frame against displacement from the cabinet and in closing the -cabinet opening, opposed edges of the panels having reinforcing and door stop strips Acoupling said door guiding rails and forming in conjunction with said rails the door opening of said frame, a pair of `door members slidably engaging said rails and movable over the surfaces of said panels in moving the door members from a closed to an open position, the edges of the door members having reinforcing and finishing strips cooperating with the stop strips to limit opening and closing movement of said door members, and said rst named means comprising foldable flanges at outer edges of said panels and reinforcing strips extending longitudinally of said flanges.

8. A door frame unit for the opening of cabinets of the class described, said unit comprising a rectangular frame consisting of spaced door guiding rails coupled together by panels joining the ends of the rails, said panels and rails having means for coupling the same with predetermined walls of the cabinet to retain the frame against displacement from the cabinet and in closing the cabinet opening, opposed edges of the panels having reinforcing and door stop strips coupling said door guiding rails and forming in conjunction with said rails the door opening of said frame, a pair of door members slidably engaging said rails and movable over the surfaces of said panels in moving the door members from a closed to an open position, the edges of the door members having reinforcing and finishing strips vcooperating with the stop strips to limit opening and closing movement of said door members, said rst named means comprising foldable iianges at outer edges of said panels and reinforcing strips extending longitudinally of said flanges, and said rst named means also including grooves formed in outer edges of said rails.

9. A door frame unit for cabinets of the class described comprising two rails having a pair of grooves extending longitudinally of one edge, and a single groove longitudinally of the opposed edge, panels mounted in one of the rst named grooves of each rail in coupling end portions of said rails, reinforcing strips at opposed edges of the panels an-d coupled with the rails adjacent the end portions thereof, said strips in conjunction with the rails forming a door opening in said frame, said panels having at their outer edges foldable flange portions, a pair of door members slidably engaging the other grooves of said rails and movable over the surfaces of the panels in moving the door members from a closed to an open position, and the iirst mentioned reinforcing strips cooperating 'with means on said door members for limiting opening and closing movement of said door members.

10. A collapsible cabinet of the class described comprising four detachably coupled parts, one part. comprising back and side Walls of the cabinet, another part the top wall, another part the bottom Wall, and the last of said parts comprising av door frame unit, said door frame unit comprising a rectangular frame having top and bottom ldoor guide rails joined by stop rails bordering side edges of the door opening in said frame, front side panels extending from said stop rails in the direction of the ends of said guide rails, said door frame unit and top and bottom Walls having flanges extending onto predetermined Walls of the first-named part and attached thereto, the flanges oi the top and bottom walls being in `co-planar alinement with the flanges of said door frame part, reinforcing strips supported on the flanges of said parts and cooperating to form reinforcing frames at the sides of the cab- 

